Writing Success for Exeter College Languages Student

An Exeter College student studying Spanish is celebrating success after his thoughtful essay on how languages unite people was awarded the runner-up prize in a competition run by the University of Exeter.

Sam Pestridge, from Exminster, entered the competition that invited A Level languages students from around the county to submit their thoughts on the question, ‘Do languages unite more than they divide us?’

“There were lots of different people who entered, so when I heard that I had placed I was really pleased,”
Sam Pestridge, Exeter College Student

Sam’s 500 word essay looked at the roots of all language in the world, providing an optimistic view of the future of communication.

Sam said, “I tried to look at the question from a different angle. I did some research and reading about how languages have evolved and the different theories behind that. I wrote about languages and their development, from our early use of them to how we use them now.”

Sam’s efforts paid off, as he received the runner up prize for the University of Exeter’s competition, which has seen his work published in their online magazine The Language Exepress and Sam received an Amazon gift voucher worth £20.

“I was very surprised that I heard back from them because I didn’t expect anything at all,” said Sam.

“There were lots of different people who entered, so when I heard that I had placed I was really pleased. My essay essentially concluded that languages do unite us more than they divide us. We managed to use language historically as a way to make sure that we survived in our human groups. I ended with a call to action saying that we need to re-learn how to use languages so that they can act as a unifying tool once again.”

Sam’s Spanish Lecturer Tim Melia said how pleased he was for Sam. “I’m very proud that we have students like Sam with us at the college; with a genuine interest in languages and with the motivation and maturity to take part in this competition alongside their studies. My warmest congratulations to Sam and all our students who took part,” said Tim.

“This competition has been a part of our efforts in languages to forge links with the University. This has also involved us delivering a joint session on the merits of studying languages to students in schools in the Ted Wragg Multi-Academy Trust.”

The essays were judged by a panel of University of Exeter Lecturers who were looking for creativity and quality of analysis from the entrants.

Sam’s entry is featured in Issue 11 of The Language Exepress

Sam, who is currently in Year 12, is studying for A Levels in Spanish, Politics and History with Exeter College. He wanted to pay tribute to the impact of his Spanish Lecturer Tim Melia for helping him during his studies.

Sam continued: “Tim sent us the competition details for this and encouraged us to go for it. He’s always on the lookout for opportunities for us to be able to extend ourselves outside of the normal curriculum and do things that aren’t on the syllabus but will enrich our studies.”

Indeed, in Sam’s nine months with Exeter College so far, his Spanish class visited the Translation Festival in Exeter and have taken part in the linguistics Olympiad; a series of language-based puzzles designed by the Languages and English Language Departments.

“I wanted to take a language with Exeter College because it gives me the chance to communicate with people I wouldn’t normally be able to. The course here is great because it covers the whole Hispanic world with topics on politics and society, among others,” said Sam.

“The course lets you learn a lot more about the world as well as language and it’s really interesting to be able to do that with Spanish.

“Tim teaches us in a holistic way. During my GCSEs, I felt like I was memorising things, but Tim has been teaching us so that we can learn to actually communicate well, rather than just pass an exam. We’re not just learning the language; we’re learning how to use it well.”

Online Learning

Sam’s ongoing learning with Exeter College is currently taking place online due to the Government’s closure of schools and colleges in response to the Coronavirus pandemic.

He said he’s been receiving support from College staff during this challenging period.

“Teachers have been calling us online, this is especially useful for a subject like Spanish where it’s important that we keep practising our speaking,” said Sam.

“Teachers have been doing PowerPoints and recording sessions for us. I feel I’m supported in my learning and the teachers are always available for us if we need them.”

After completing his studies with Exeter College in summer 2021, Sam hopes to go to university to study International Development and Spanish as a joint degree.

“I find those two aspects of my work really enjoyable. As far as a job goes after university, I’m hoping that the skills I gain from my degree will leave me with lots of opportunities. I’ll look in to which career path is right for me as I go forward.”

Read Sam’s full article here in The Language Exepress.

Check out our A Level Spanish course page.

Complete an online application now to study with Exeter College.

Exeter College donates books to South Africa

Exeter College has donated ten boxes of pre-loved books to underprivileged areas of South Africa as part of the Help a South African School project.

The English, Languages and International Baccalaureate (ELB) faculty at Exeter College has decided to join an international effort to help address the issue of illiteracy in South Africa.

Only around 22% of South African schools have libraries, and many are in need of vital resources to aid learning. Lots of South African children experience a broken journey through school. Around 27% of public schools still don’t have access to fresh running water, while just 12% have access to computers.

By linking up with the Help a South African School project with Hortgro, the ELB department at Exeter College is playing a part in the distribution of books to some of the poorest parts of South Africa, creating opportunities for the country’s young people to read and write.

The Help a South African School project aims to give books to those most in need across South Africa, including textbooks and literary books. Exeter College has responded to this urgent need, and staff and students donated pre-loved books to the cause. Now unwanted books could enjoy a new lease of life with a new generation of learners across South Africa.

Discontinued books from the College’s Learning Resource Centres were collected and put towards the good cause, as well as a few from the personal collections of staff and students.

Books were collected up before the College closure and are on their way to a new home in South Africa.

Find out more about book donation with Help a South African School.

Awarding BTEC Qualifications FAQs

Updated:
06/05/2020

Some current BTEC students have been asking for clarification on how the awarding process for their qualifications will work during the College closure. Here are some frequently asked questions to help support your ongoing study with Exeter College and provide guidance on the process for awarding grades.

Please note: Pearson (the awarding body for BTEC qualifications) has announced they will be using calculated grades for any units due for completion after March shut down. For units that are assessed by coursework, predicted grades will be provided. For units that are assessed in the way of an exam, Pearson will calculate these grades. However, for some NVQs and for all Higher National Certificates and Higher National Diplomas, they will carry on with adapted assessments. We will communicate directly with learners with any further updates.

How will my overall grade for the year be calculated?

Pearson have told us that your qualification grade will be worked out using the following evidence: 

Actual grades you achieved in units that were due in before the disruption began: this means that the College will submit your grades for work that you were supported with before the shutdown. If you have any outstanding assignments or re-submissions from before 23rd March, it is therefore really important that you do hand these in to your teacher or else we will not be able to submit a grade for that unit for you. Please talk to your tutor if you are unsure if you have any outstanding work. 
Predicted grades for any assignment units or exams that were due to take place after 23rd March 2020: your teachers will be asked to give you a ‘calculated grade’ for such units. We will do this using our knowledge of your working level before the disruption. Please do not worry if you feel the work you are able to complete at the moment is not of the same quality that you were producing before 23rd March. We understand that working remotely without the face-to-face support you usually get in the classroom is not the same experience, and we know that many of you will find working at home at the moment a challenge. No learner will be marked down in predictions on this basis.

What are my priorities with remote learning?

If you have any outstanding assignments or re-submissions from before 23rd March, for units that should have been completed, it is really important that you do this work and hand this work in to your teacher or else we will not be able to submit a grade for that unit for you.

How can I check if I have any work that needs to be handed in?

Your unit lecturers should be contacting you via your college email if you have any work that needs to be completed and handed in for the units that finished before 23^rd March. You can also email your tutor if you are unsure if you have any outstanding work. Don’t forget that you can also check your tracker.

Will units that started in September and finish in June/July (delivered all year) be counted in my final grade?

As these units were not completed before March 23^rd teachers will be asked to give you a calculated or predicted grade for these units. We will do this using our knowledge of your working level before the disruption.

Will units that were due to be completed in April be counted in my final grade?

Why am I is still being asked to study and complete work if it will not count towards my overall grade for the year?

Continuing online study is important for a number of reasons:

Gaining the skills and knowledge to progress to your next stage: whether that’s the next academic year with us or, university study or employment. We want to make sure we have supported you with all the content your course would have included for your next step. 
It’s good for your mental wellbeing: Having a positive focus for your day is good for your mental health.
For assessments next year:  Awarding bodies have provided assurance of an extra exam window in the autumn for those who are unhappy with their calculated grade or feel they can do better. You need to have the skills and knowledge for this option to remain open to you. And of course, for those of you in year 1, we are supporting your knowledge ready for assignments and exams that you will sit next year.

Will I continue to be set assignments?

We will continue to support and provide you with learning materials remotely. In some cases, you may still be asked to complete a piece of writing however, we are very mindful that many of you will find working at home a challenge at the moment. Therefore, instead of an assignment you may be set different activities to complete. For any written work that you do submit you will continue to receive feedback.

Will my Tutor let me know my final grade?

We are not able to discuss with you individually what grade we might submit for you. In any case awarding bodies have their own quality and moderation processes that they will be applying to any data we send. We will not know your final grades until they are released by Pearson.

When will Pearson release my final grade?

Ofqual (the Office who regulate all qualifications) have said that they want this process to happen in a timely way so that you can progress and their aim is for you to receive your results around the same time as AS and A Level results. As soon as Pearson have advised us of the date your results will be released, we will let you know.

Click here to see Ofqual’s statement on awarding GCSEs, AS Levels and A Levels.

Exeter College links up with Food4Heroes to provide meals for NHS staff

Exeter College has offered its state-of-the-art industrial kitchen facilities to Food4Heroes; a charity that provides free nutritious meals to frontline NHS staff during the Coronavirus pandemic.

The College’s @34 training kitchens will now be in use, providing nutritionally balanced, free meals to NHS staff. These meals will include a vegetarian and a meat option and allergens will be listed on the dishes provided. Meals distributed to Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital will be in microwavable containers for NHS staff to take home.

Food4Heroes launched in response to the Coronavirus crisis when footage emerged of NHS workers finishing long shifts and finding limited stocks available in their local supermarket. Since then, Food4Heroes has worked around the country with NHS Trusts to set up initiatives to support frontline NHS staff with nutritious microwaveable meals.

The @34 kitchens have the facilities to provide up to 200 meals a day, and Food4Heroes will be working with the NHS Trust to make sure they’re producing the correct volume of food to meet demand. Food4Heroes will also be working with other local, certified suppliers with a minimum 4* food hygiene rating to support catering, if required.

How you can help

For the Exeter College kitchen to operate successfully as part of this effort, Food4Heroes is now looking for volunteers with a minimum of a Level 2 Food Hygiene Certificate to help prepare the food in the kitchen. Ideally, chefs would be able to commit to producing two meals a week. However, this could alter depending on how many volunteers and businesses come forward to support Food4Heroes.

Details and support for chefs will be available once the process is finalised.

To help with Food4Heroes at Exeter College, contact Steve Tipping on steve@food4heroes.co.uk for further details.

Donate to Food4Heroes

To keep this free for all frontline NHS staff, Food4Heroes is seeking donations to cover the costs of ingredients, travel and other unavoidable expenses. Donations can be made to specific regions, ensuring that local money is spent on local NHS support. You can find additional details on the Food4Heroes website. Donations for the South West are being raised on Crowdfunder here.

Supporting the NHS

Exeter College is helping to support those working in the NHS with PPE equipment distributed from the College’s Maths and Science Centre. The production of face shields is also underway in association with PPE4Exeter, a community organisation leading on the creation and distribution of vital PPE equipment to community-based health and care workers.

Accommodation is also available for NHS staff to use at the College’s Clock Tower Boarding House.

PPE4Exeter Campaign Raises over £3000 of £26,000 target in first weekend

A grassroots community project has raised an incredible £3000 in aid of their production of vital Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for community-based health and care workers in their first weekend. They are hoping to continue raising around £1000 a day to keep up with the demand for face shields in the local community.

The PPE4Exeter project was launched last week to raise money for the materials needed to produce face shields for use by vital community services during the Coronavirus crisis. To date, they have distributed over 1200 face shields to a variety of staff working on the frontline.

PPE4Exeter is an agile network of local creatives, engineers, technologists and business innovators who are working together to make and distribute face shields to those who need them most on the front line within the community.

Fronted by Fiona Rourke from Exeter College’s School of Art and Design, PPE4Exeter has teamed up with Andy Wells and Gareth Lambert from the Department for Engineering, Aerospace and Automotive who have also been producing PPE for healthcare settings. They are using their combined expertise to fill the sizable gap in the market occupied by small to mid-range charities and organisations who cannot bid for large deliveries of PPE independently.

Working with 3D printing, laser cutting and injection moulding technologies, the group is currently Crowdfunding to keep the vital supply of materials going. As little as £5 is enough to create and distribute one reusable face shield, protecting a valuable community keyworker.

Alongside Exeter College, the team is partnered with Kaleider, University of Exeter, FabLab Devon (Libraries Unlimited), RD&E Innovation Team, Exclusive3D and Preston Street Films to help deliver a target of a further 5000 face shields to the local community in the next 4 weeks.

Exeter College’s effort is widespread. It has already supported the distribution of PPE to local centres, with over 800 lots of safety glasses, facemasks and gloves making their way to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital this month. This was following the announcement that the College is offering accommodation to NHS workers in their Clock Tower boarding house for the duration of this crisis.

Find out more about PPE4Exeter.

Donate now to their Crowdfunder.

Information correct as of 21st April 2020

April 1991: City top of the class in further education

As part of Exeter College celebrating 50 years as the UK’s first ever tertiary college, we are looking back on some key events which have helped us to become the Ofsted Outstanding education provider we are today. 

In April 1991 it was reported that, for the first time, the majority of young people in Britain had decided to stay on in education after finishing school at 16. The south west was above the national average, with Exeter College leading the way for further education institutions.

Educationalist Professor Ted Wragg said at the time, “Here in Exeter we are very fortunate – Exeter College offers every kind of course for school leavers. It can cater for everything from vocational courses to A Levels.”

This is something we continue to pride ourselves on in 2020. We offer a range of different course types for different learners, from Apprenticeships, A Levels and vocational courses to the International Baccalaureate and new T Level qualifications.

Professor Ted Wragg said in 1991, “We underestimate the influence of parents. More parents are now recognising the value of further education and training and are supporting their children, and we hope they will continue to.”

Indeed, further education has grown and developed since 1991, and our education offer has grown and adapted with the needs of industry and the local community.

As well as being a government-appointed early adopter of new T Level qualifications, we are also hosting a new South West Institute of Technology Digital and Data Centre that’s part of a wider bid to revolutionise digital, engineering and manufacturing technology education across the region. The Centre will play host to industry-standard digital technology and will provide learners the skills to move directly into the workplace or further study. Construction is underway and is scheduled to be completed in early 2021.

Find out more about the Digital and Data Centre at Exeter College.

Check out everything we’ve been doing to celebrate 50 years since being named as the UK’s first ever tertiary college.

Exeter College is celebrating 50 years since being named as the UK’s first tertiary college. Although our roots date back to the 1800s, our status as a tertiary college marked a revolution in further education and 2020 marks our 50 years of excellence since that landmark. If you have a memory of Exeter College through the years that you’d like to share, contact marketing@exe-coll.ac.uk or get involved on social media using #ExeColl50  

Make a Flying Start with Exeter College in 2020

We know lots of students are keen to get a head start on their College subjects before joining us, and that’s why we’ve developed Flying Start; our suite of pre-enrolment learning content to get you thinking about your new subjects with us.

Flying Start is for all school leavers with a conditional offer to study a full-time Level 2 or Level 3 course with us in 2020. This year, due to the Government closure of all schools and colleges in response to the spread of the Coronavirus, we have launched the content early. In turn, this will give our new learners more time to enrich their education by thinking deeply about the subjects they have chosen to come and study for the next academic year.

“Flying Start provides some small introductory pieces of work, as well as some suggested background reading on subjects,”
Jade Otty, Vice Principal

Flying Start is designed by your subject leaders with the aim of getting you thinking at an advanced level ahead of joining us in September. With Flying Start, you’ll find questions to consider, tasks to complete and some background research you might want to undertake before enrolment.

Remember, Flying Start is designed to support you in to studying with us, help you explore your chosen subjects and get you started on exciting course content.

Although not compulsory, many students enjoy learning more about their chosen subjects ahead of joining us and find the learning content useful ahead of beginning their studies.

Completing the activities as part of Flying Start can be fitted in around existing GCSE level work and can get you motivated ahead of joining us full time in September.

Exeter College Vice Principal Jade Otty, who leads on academic performance at the College, said, “In these turbulent times, we wanted to bring forward Flying Start for our next intake of learners to give them a real flavour of what they’ll be studying with us.

“We’re really proud of Flying Start and find that it helps to increase student confidence about joining us and can help answer some questions students might have about subject content.

“Flying Start provides some small introductory pieces of work, as well as some suggested background reading on subjects. This can be especially useful for students joining us on subjects that they might not have studied at GCSE level, but is definitely worthwhile for all our learners to get to know what they’ll be learning about when they join us.”

Applicants to Exeter College with a conditional offer to study with us should check their email account for the first of two batches of Flying Start activity sheets from us in the coming days. The second round of content will launch around the May half term.

Apply now to study with Ofsted Outstanding Exeter College to get access to your suite of Flying Start learning content.

Check out the complete breakdown of the exam boards for Exeter College courses.

Find out how exceptional learning is continuing with Exeter College while we’re closed.

April 2004: Green Light for Centre for Creative Industries

As part of Exeter College celebrating 50 years as the UK’s first-ever tertiary college, we’re looking back on some key events which helped us to become the Ofsted Outstanding education provider we are today. 

In the early 2000s, we committed to our ambitious expansion programme, ensuring that our students had the best opportunities and facilities available. Nearly two decades later we continue to grow, with our new Digital and Data Centre to open early in 2021. 

Then… Planning Approved for Centre for Creative Industries (April 2004)

In 2004 we were given the green light to build our Centre for Creative Industries (CCI), establishing an inspiring learning environment for our visual and performing arts students. 

Exeter College worked with the council and city residents to produce plans for a state-of-the-art three-story education centre adjacent to Exeter’s cultural quarter to act as a hub for our creatively gifted students.

Consisting of a 160-seat theatre, art and design studios and exhibition space, the CCI encompasses industry standard facilities and today forms an integral part of Exeter’s academic infrastructure. 

Richard Atkins CBE, our Principal at the time, said, “We are trying to work in partnership with other schools to invest significantly in educational buildings in Exeter.

“This Centre is a very important part of our plans. The arts are very popular with young people, and we want to offer them good facilities.” 

Since completion, the Centre of Creative Industries has helped thousands of the south west’s students on their education journey and remains at the cutting edge of creative education in the country.

And Now…  Construction Continues on Digital and Data Centre

Sixteen years later and Exeter College continues to invest in the education offering in Exeter, with construction currently underway on a new Digital and Data Centre. To be completed in early 2021, the centre will form a part of a wider South West Institute of Technology (SWIOT) plan to revolutionise digital, engineering and manufacturing technology education in the south west.

The £10.3million building, based at our Hele Road campus, will be a modern learning environment complete with state-of-the-art digital learning laboratories. This will provide students with quality higher level technical training and prepare them for work or further study in the digital sector. 

The Digital and Data Centre will be at the heart of Exeter College’s digital education, providing new opportunities to learn about data analytics, cybersecurity and software development.

Digital and Data Centre Flythrough

Exeter College is celebrating 50 years since being named as the UK’s first tertiary college. Although our roots date back to the 1800s, our status as a tertiary college marked a revolution in further education and 2020 marks our 50 years of excellence since that landmark. If you have a memory of Exeter College through the years that you’d like to share, contact marketing@exe-coll.ac.uk or get involved on social media using #ExeColl50 

Exeter College Offers Accommodation to NHS Workers

Exeter College has opened the doors of its Clock Tower accommodation to NHS workers in need of a place to stay during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.

The accommodation officially opened in September last year for students who travel longer distances to College but following the recent move to exclusively online learning, all students have now returned home and the recently-refurbished former hotel is now available for alternative use.

Following a thorough deep clean, the Clock Tower building, which is on New North Road in the heart of Exeter, will be open for NHS staff to use as accommodation during the fight against the Coronavirus.

College staff have taken time themselves to deep clean the building ready for NHS use and up to 22 NHS workers can stay there at any one time. This should prove vital as many NHS workers seek to self-isolate to protect family and loved ones during this global pandemic.

Exeter College Director of Student Experience Kristyn Woodward said, “We’re a college for the community and during these challenging times we wanted to do everything we can to support the region through this crisis.

“By opening the Clock Tower for use by NHS staff we hope that we can at least play our small part in the global response to this pandemic and help the hugely talented and dedicated NHS staff by providing a roof over their head and a place to stay that’s nearer the hospital in these difficult times.

“Staff at Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital are working incredibly hard to save lives on the front line, and as a community organisation we felt it’s only right that we offer everything we can to help them and the NHS.”

The Clock Tower accommodation will now be available exclusively to NHS staff for the duration of this crisis, with all bedrooms being en-suite and communal kitchen facilities also available.

In addition to offering the Clock Tower during this crisis, Exeter College has also played its part in providing much-needed personal protective equipment (PPE) to front line NHS staff. Nearly 300 pairs of safety goggles from the College’s Maths and Science Centre are now in use across Devon’s GP practices, and disposable safety gloves and aprons have also been donated to the cause to be used on the front line.

Anyone interested in taking up the offer should contact their HR department at the NHS, who have all the relevant details on accessing the accommodation.

Updated:
23/3/2020
3/4/2020
7/4/2020
16/4/2020
23/4/2020
14/07/2020
07/08/2020

Forgotten your college password?

If you have forgotten your password or find you have been locked out of your account, please call 01392 400700 between 9.00 and 16.00 (Monday to Friday, 8.00 and 16.00 on Thursday 13th only) and one of the LRC team will reset your password. Please note: this number can be busy so you may need to try it a few times before getting connected.

Once you have successfully reset your password and gained access to your account we encourage you to register for the self-service password reset function. Visit our password reset page for more information.

Summer 2020 Results

We hope you’re ready to have an amazing summer. After the unprecedented year we’ve been having, we feel it’s important for you to take some time and relax. Most teaching staff are now enjoying some well-earned time off over the summer and will return to the college from the 19^th August.

If you’re expecting exam or final assessment results this summer, we wanted to make sure you know the date on which you can expect your results.

There are two main results days:

Thursday 13^th August is the results day for all Level 3 courses, including A/AS Levels, BTECs and other vocational qualifications.
Thursday 20^th August is the results day for GCSE courses and any other qualifications which are Entry Level, Level 1 or Level 2.

To make sure you get your results as swiftly as possible, we have decided to release them online on these dates. Don’t worry – we will still be here to support anyone that needs to come in or have an online chat about their options.

Results will be available from 8:30am for A Level and A/S Level Courses and at 11am for all other courses. In order to access your results, you’ll have to log on to your My eILP through the College Student Hub. We would highly recommend that you check your password before results day to ensure you have access.

We would also recommend that you check your contact details, within your My eILP, including your phone number, as we may need to contact you via text. Remember, when you receive your results, our specialist teams are there to support you with your next steps. We’ll contact you with more support options closer to results days.

Awarding Grades

All exams due to take place in summer 2020 have been cancelled by the government as part of the national effort to reduce the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19).

However, qualifications and grades will still be awarded this year. Ofqual have now released their guidance on their system to award learners the fairest grade possible in this unprecedented situation.

For this summer’s awards, schools and colleges are being asked to provide centre assessment grades for their students. These should be fair, objective and carefully considered judgements of the grades schools and colleges believe their students would have been most likely to achieve if they had sat their exams, and will take into account the full range of available evidence.

The government have also promised an extra exam window in the 2020/21 academic year, so that anyone wishing to take the exams will be given an opportunity to do so as soon as it is safe.

We want to assure you that Exeter College will make sure our students are treated fairly by this process. The mention of practice examinations has led to some concern from our learners that they will be automatically awarded their mock grade. This is not the case. Ofqual have assured us that teachers will be have the opportunity to apply their professional judgement using not just previous performance, but, crucially, their knowledge of the individual and how students usually progress in their subject over time.

We will be asked therefore for a judgement on how a learner would have performed if they had the opportunity to complete the year and continue to improve, not for a snapshot of where they had reached when the disruption began.

The commitment from Ofqual is that they will generate a grade profile that is indistinguishable from those provided in other years.

We hope that you understand that in order for us to comply with the need for this system to be robust as well as fair, individual teachers cannot be in dialogue with students and parents about this. The best thing that our learners can do at the moment is to continue to engage with their studies through the online distance learning support our teachers are providing. In this manner we hope to best serve them for their skills for their future ambitions.

View the official Ofqual statement.

Results Days

If you’re expecting exam or final assessment results this summer, we wanted to make sure you know the date on which you can expect your results.

There are two main results days:

• Thursday 13th August is the results day for all Level 3 courses, including A/AS Levels, BTECs and other vocational qualifications.

• Thursday 20th August is the results day for GCSE courses and any other qualifications which are Entry Level, Level 1 or Level 2.